Orlando, Fla. -- Etihad Airways President and CEO James Hogan emphasized the importance of consumer choice and innovation as the fundamental drivers of competition in the international airline industry during a public conversation before an audience of approximately 4,000 attendees at the 2015 Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Convention in Orlando, Fla.

In a
discussion, which focused on emerging opportunities and challenges in the
global aviation industry, Mr. Hogan noted that business and leisure travellers
alike are demanding, and should rightly expect, choices in network, schedules,
product and services, loyalty rewards, convenience, and price.

“What we
bring to the market is competition, we bring fantastic choice in regard to
product and services,” Mr. Hogan told the audience. “We see strong demand in
premium and we’re very focused on the business traveler – when you look at our
lounges, when you look at the services that we provide – to ensure that the
trip is as seamless as it can be.”

Mr. Hogan
highlighted the impact of rapidly growing markets like China, India and
Southeast Asia on international traffic flows and traditional international
hubs. He also emphasized Etihad’s unique approach to constantly innovating
in order to better serve customers.

“Innovation
– one of the greatest things about travel in this era is the consumer can find
out so much about your business. In our culture, we don’t have passengers, we
have guests and that guest experience – whether it’s first class,
business class or economy – is fundamental, and treating the guest with
respect,” Mr. Hogan said.

He
further noted that Etihad competes on product in the markets in which it
operates and that even as a relatively young airline, Etihad has already
differentiated itself in the market and attracted global interest with the
best-in-class offerings available across every class of service, which includes
The Residence, Business Studios, Economy Smart Seats, in-flight chefs, butlers
and flying nannies.

Mr. Hogan also discussed Etihad’s unique business model which
extends the airline’s organic growth through codeshare partnerships and equity
investments in key global airlines, including airberlin, Air Serbia, Air
Seychelles, Aer Lingus, Alitalia, Jet Airways, Virgin Australia, and
Swiss-based Darwin Airline, to offer greater choice to consumers, including a
network of more than 500 destinations worldwide – all at greater convenience,
with one booking and one fare. The airline’s hub in Abu Dhabi now serves as a
gateway between the Middle East, Asia and Australia and destinations in Europe
and America.

Mr. Hogan
said, “Our equity strategy is about how we build our network. We work in a
digital age where the consumer, whether it’s corporate or leisure, can go
online and they look to points of the world they wish to travel. Now within
that, we have a partnership with these airlines where we’re now strengthening
our global network – top line generating revenue and bottom line tackling cost
together."

Etihad
Airways’ booth at the GBTA EXPO showcases The Residence, Etihad Airways’
exclusive luxury travel offering available aboard its Airbus A380 aircraft. The
only three-room suite in the sky, The Residence offers a truly luxurious travel
experience with a double bedroom, ensuite bathroom, and separate living room –
complete with a double sofa with ottoman, two dining tables, chilled drinks
cabinet, and a 32-inch flat screen TV. Attendees touring The Residence will
receive the full luxury experience with the airline’s on-site cabin crew,
including a dedicated butler who is available to ensure all customers’ needs
are met before, during and after the luxury flight.

Convention goers also have full access to the Business Studios found on the airline’s Airbus A380s and Boeing 787s, which offer an unparalleled level of luxury in business travel, including considerable space, privacy and freedom with a seat that converts into a fully-flat bed, a personal 18-inch touch screen TV, and a unique pneumatic comfort system to adjust the firmness of the seat, in-seat massage and lighting, all at the touch of a button.

The A380 will make its debut in the United States on December 1 when Etihad Airways inaugurates the airline’s first A380 service between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Abu Dhabi. In the United States, the Business Studios are already available to travelers who fly from Washington’s Dulles International Airport to Abu Dhabi – and beyond.